People's Choice Adventurers of the Year

2012 Winners: Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa

The votes—nearly 72,000 of them—are in, and we're pleased to announce that Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa are the 2012 People's Choice Adventurers of the Year. Their Ultimate Descent expedition to climb Everest, paraglide down, and paddle to the sea truly embodies the spirit of adventure. With borrowed gear and a bare-bones budget, there were no corporate sponsors nor social media campaigns, just the essentials for adventure—vision, creativity, and friendship. See expedition photos, then read their story and watch the video.

Ascending Mount Everest

Photograph courtesy Sano Babu Sunuwar

In April 2011 Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa began their three-month quest for the Ultimate Descent. They planned to climb Mount Everest, paraglide down, then kayak all the way to the Indian Ocean.

Here Babu and Lakpa trek along the Western Cwm, a U-shaped valley carved out by the Khumbu Glacier. Set between Camps 1 and 2 at around 22,000 feet, this area is littered with giant crevasses. Lakpa, a mountaineering guide, pushed Babu, a professional kayaker, to learn quickly. They didn't stay at Camp 1, deciding instead to push on to Camp 2.

Crossing the Khumbu Glacier

Photograph courtesy Sano Babu Sunuwar

The pair crossed this area five times during their training. Babu, a kayaker, struggled with the icefall and this section, as it was his first climb at this altitude. He suffered numerous ailments on the quest for Everest's summit, including blurred vision. "While crossing the ladders over giant crevasses I would see many ropes, never knowing which was the right one," he says.

Everest From Camp 4, South Col

Photograph courtesy Sano Babu Sunuwar

Babu and Lakpa saw this view looking up toward the summit of Everest from Camp 4 on the South Col at 26,000 feet. The true summit is not visible from this angle.

Just before the final summit push, while resting at Camp 4, Babu and Lakpa had one canister of oxygen stolen. Lakpa was beginning to get a bit sick, as he planned not to use oxygen until the final ascent. Babu drank his first cup of coffee ever this morning, finding his inner strength and power.

Everest Summit

Photograph by Sano Babu Sunuwar

Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa arrived at the summit of Mount Everest (29,035 feet) on May 21, 2011. This was Lapka's fourth summit and Babu's first. They proudly hold a banner from Babu's workplace, the Association of Paragliding Pilots and Instructors (APPI).

Paragliding Off Everest

Photograph courtesy Sano Babu Sunuwar

On May 21, Babu (pilot) and Lakpa (passenger) launched a tandem paraglider from the summit of Mount Everest. They were only the third group to do so. Seen in the background are Everest (left), Lhotse (center), and Neptuse (right).

For the men, this was the highlight of the entire expedition—a dream come true to fly above the Khumbu Glacier. Lakpa, now with no oxygen for more than one hour, sat as a happy passenger "singing [his] heart out, waving to the other climbers, and taking many photos."

The Landing Zone

Photograph by Sano Babu Sunuwar

The pair paraglided over the Syangboche Airstrip, about 1,000 feet above the Sherpa village of Namche Bazar. This was their landing zone, after a 16,400-foot descent that lasted about 45 minutes. The duo set a new world record of 8,865 meters (29,084 feet) for free flight in the process.

It took only a few minutes for villagers to greet them. "They were happy to see we were Nepali," says Babu. "They treated us like heroes."

Paddling Class V Rapids

Photograph courtesy Sano Babu Sunuwar

Babu and Lakpa charge the Class V rapids of the Sun Kosi River in their yellow tandem kayak as Krishna Sunuwar monitors the situation from the red support boat. As this was one of Lakpa's first times in a kayak—let alone swimming—Babu reassured him: "This is an easy run; no problem." Only later would Babu tell him that they had just passed one of the gnarliest rapids in Nepal.

Paddling the Ganges River

Photograph courtesy Sano Babu Sunuwar

Babu and Lakpa paddle down the holy Ganges River, amazed by large boats they had never seen before. Here they pass in front of a ferry carrying passengers across the river. "In low elevation, everything is busy—the bugs busy, the people busy, everything moving fast," recalls Lakpa.

The men were also amazed by the dead bodies that lined the river. "In India, they throw everything to the river, including the bodies. In Nepal, we burn our deceased," says Babu.

When capsized, Babu would stay with the boat while Krishna went to rescue the floating Lakpa. "I was never afraid, because they told me this was normal," reflects Lakpa. "And Krishna was always just behind me to pull me out."

Reaching the Sea

Photograph courtesy Sano Babu Sunuwar

On June 27, Babu and Lakpa reached the Ganga Saga, Bay of Bengal, where the river from the mountain meets the sea.

"It was more difficult than we thought to paddle," recalls Babu. "When we reached the ocean many waves were coming, and I feared for Lakpa. We pulled up on to the beach and the sand was filled with strange scorpions. Later we learned these things were crabs."